Mario URSO

Mario Urso is a Researcher (RTDA) in Physics of Matter at the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Catania. He obtained his PhD in Materials Science and Nanotechnology from the University of Catania in 2020 and subsequently worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Catania and as a Senior Researcher and Marie-Curie Fellow in the research group of Prof. Martin Pumera at the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) in Brno (Czech Republic) from 2020 to 2022.

Currently, his research project focuses on the development of autonomous and intelligent micro- and nanorobot metamachines based on micro- and nanostructures of metals and/or semiconductors with photocatalytic and magnetic properties. This particular class of robots is capable of moving autonomously under visible light irradiation and reconfiguring into different macrostructures under appropriate magnetic fields to perform various tasks, such as in the field of clean energy production.

He has published numerous scientific articles on nanostructured materials for electrochemical and gas sensors, energy (batteries and supercapacitors, water splitting), and water purification. He has also been the Principal Investigator of projects funded by the European Commission and the MUR for a total value of more than 300,000 euros.